Aaron Chown – Pool/Getty ImagesBy ZOE MAGEE, ABC News
(LONDON) — Kensington Palace on Wednesday issued an extraordinary rebuttal of a cover story that will appear in the British society magazine, Tatler.
The article, “Catherine the Great,” is a profile of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, describing her as a “King maker” and “the ultimate power player” in the British royal family.
The author, Anna Pasternak, paints a largely positive picture of the duchess, charting her rise to prominence, the steadfast role she has played in Prince William’s life and her deep sense of duty toward the monarchy and her role within it.
“She doesn’t create press headaches or court scandal, which, given everything else that is going on, is an almighty relief,” one source told Pasternak.
Kensington Palace has taken issue with the story and is publicly rebutting some of the claims made by sources.
“This story contains a swathe of inaccuracies and false misrepresentations which were not put to Kensington Palace prior to publication,” the palace said in a statement Wednesday.
The in-depth look at Duchess Kate touches upon more controversial topics like her relationship with her sister-in-law, Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, and what Meghan and Prince Harry’s departure from royal duties has meant for the Cambridges.
The palace is pushing back against comments made by one source who said the Cambridges are not pleased with the increased work load caused by the Sussexes’ move to Los Angeles last month. The source describing Kate as feeling “exhausted and trapped” was something Kensington Palace immediately refuted, calling it false.
Tatler’s Editor-in Chief Richard Dennen is standing by Pasternak’s reporting and her sources, telling ABC News, “Kensington Palace knew we were running the ‘Catherine the Great’ cover months ago and we asked them to work together on it. The fact they are denying they ever knew is categorically false.”
The Cambridges have stayed busy with work over the past two months while following stay-at-home orders in the U.K. due to the coronavirus pandemic. Both William and Kate have participated in several video calls with everyone from teachers to students and health care workers while staying at their Anmer Hall home in Norfolk with their three young children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.
Kate also recently launched a photography project to commemorate this period in history.
It is an unusual move for Kensington Palace to take on a publication like Tatler.
The Cambridges have a much smoother relationship with the media than the Sussexes, who are both embroiled in lawsuits with several British tabloids.
“The headline suggested this was a positive profile about Kate but clearly many of the details were not well-received behind palace walls,” said ABC News royal contributor Victoria Murphy. “The royals don’t make a habit of issuing statements about stories so it’s obvious that they felt strongly about this one and wanted to make sure people are aware that they absolutely refute these representations.”
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